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Adler C
See also the Semi Adler and Adler III (4.5×6cm), Adler A (4.5×6cm), Adler B (4.5×6cm), Adler Four (4×4cm), Adler Six (6×6cm) and Vest Adler (4×6.5cm). The Adler C (アドラーC型) The name "Adler" was clearly used to demonstrate Japan's alliance with Germany. During the war period, Riken often used such names (they also sold a Heil camera), or other "patriotic" names. is a 4.5×6cm folding camera sold in the early 1940s by Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō (predecessor of Ricoh). Description The Adler C is extremely similar to the vertical Semi Rody made by Shibayama, of which it was certainly a rebadged version. The main body is essentially copied on the large Baldax model, but the folding optical finder is placed on the opposite side, so that the front door's hinge appears on the right-hand side, as seen by a photographer holding the camera horizontally. The body release is to the right of the viewfinder and is tripped by the right-hand finger; it is said that it retracts towards the camera body when the front door is closed. Advertisement in January 1941 listing the Adler CII, reproduced in , p.65. The film is advanced by a knob at the top left, and the release of the front door is on the same side, at the bottom. The back is hinged to the right, and is locked by a sliding bar on the left. (The shape of the back latch is the only visible difference with the vertical Semi Rody.) Documents and surviving example The Adler C appears in the official list of set prices compiled in October 1940 and published in January 1941, for ¥62 with no further detail. , type 3, section 5A. The Adler CII is advertised by Riken in the January 1941 issue of , with a four-element 75/3.5 lens and T, B, 5–150 shutter speeds, but the document shows no picture of the camera. Finally, the Adler CII appears in the official price list dated November 1941, where it is attributed to Riken. , type 3, section 5B. The distinguishing feature of the Adler C and Adler CII is unknown. The only surviving example observed so far is pictured in articles by Tanaka and in the Ricoh official website. Example pictured in Tanaka, p.79 of no.8 and p.17 of no.14, and in this page of the Ricoh official website. It has the name ADLER C embossed in the leather covering at the front. The shutter is a Peerless (T, B, 5–200) with setting lever, marked PEERLESS at the bottom of the front plate. The lens is a Solar 7.5cm f/3.5, engraved Solar 1:3.5 f=7.5cm Riken Kogaku Oozi with a serial number. The engraving probably indicates that the lens was made in the Ōji (王子) plant of Riken Kōgaku Kōgyō. A similar camera is reported in this page at Photoethnography, apparently with the same lens and shutter combination. Notes Bibliography Original documents * Type 3, section 5B. * Type 3, section 5A. Recent sources * Item 7. (See also the advertisement for item 53.) * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Senzen no kamera 2: Supuringu kamera" (戦前のカメラ2・スプリングカメラ, Prewar cameras 2: folding cameras). Pp.16–9. * Tanaka Masao (田中政雄). "Sonota no nihon no supuringu-kamera" (その他の日本のスプリングカメラ, "Other Japanese folding cameras"). Pp.76–80. The Adler C is not listed in . Links In English: * Adler C at Photoethnography In Japanese: * Adler CII in the Ricoh camera list of the Ricoh official website Category: Japanese 4.5x6 viewfinder folding Category: Ricoh Category: A Category: Bestiary